One person was killed, 11 others are feared trapped, and three people were rescued after landslides and flooding caused by heavy rain hit four villages in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand on late Wednesday night. As many as 20 people are reportedly injured in the incidents.
According to the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) in Dehradun, over 30 houses were flattened in the incident. One body was recovered from the debris, while two women and a child were rescued alive in Kuntari Lagaphali village. The deceased has been identified as Narendra Singh, 42.
The SEOC said seven people from Kuntari Lagaphali and two each from Kuntari Lagasarpani and Dhurma are still missing. Earlier, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami had said 14 people were missing after the landslides.
The affected villages — Kuntari Lagaphali, Kuntari Lagasarpani, Sera and Dhurma — all fall under the Nandanagar area, about 260 km from Dehradun and 50 km from Chamoli’s district headquarters in Gopeshwar. Nandanagar has already been facing the problem of land subsidence.
"Thirty-three houses, several shops and cowsheds were destroyed by the debris in four villages -- Kuntari Lagaphali, Kuntari Lagasarpani, Sera and Dhurma -- following heavy rain. Fourteen people are missing and around 20 have been injured,” Dhami said after reviewing the situation. He added that more than 200 people have been affected.
Also Read: Heavy rain wreaks havoc in Dehradun; 15 dead, 16 missing
Around 200 villagers shifted to safer locations
Around 150–200 villagers from Kuntari Lagaphali have been moved to safer places, the SEOC said. Rescue efforts are underway by teams of the NDRF, SDRF, ITBP, police and fire brigade under the supervision of the district magistrate and superintendent of police.
Those seriously injured, including a child with head injuries, are being airlifted to AIIMS Rishikesh, Dhami said. He also reviewed the situation with Chamoli District Magistrate Sandeep Tiwari through video conferencing and directed officials to speed up relief operations.
In Mokh valley, heavy rainfall caused the Moksha river to swell and erode land between Dhurma and Sera. Officials said the flooding damaged dozens of buildings, including at least six houses.
Also Read: 2 missing in Dehradun cloudburst and flash floods
DM Tiwari said at least eight persons, including four members of a family, are missing in Kuntari Lagaphali where a landslide struck half-a-dozen houses. Two people are also missing in Dhurma where the swollen Moksha river damaged several buildings. Access roads to Nandanagar have been blocked by debris, making rescue harder, he added.
Officials said details of those missing are awaited and they may still be trapped under the rubble.
Nandan Singh, a resident of Kuntari Lagaphali and vice-president of the district branch of the Indian Red Cross, who is part of the rescue work, said swampy ground is slowing down operations. “Torrents of mud and boulders rolled down from the hills at three places in Kuntari Lagaphali, destroying everything in their path. Some people inside the houses managed to escape but were injured,” he said.
In August, Nandanagar had already suffered land subsidence, with cracks appearing in many houses, forcing residents to shift.
The fresh landslides come just two days after heavy rains and cloudbursts in Dehradun and nearby areas killed 21 people, left 17 missing, and caused massive destruction by breaching roads, washing away bridges and damaging houses.
Follow us
